But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:24
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
Titus 1:10-11
I realize that we are in the last days and that many, even those who have never studied or read the Bible, are having their interest piqued by books and preaching on the Lord’s return, the Tribulation, and the end of the world. Knowing the exact time and day of his return will not make you a better Christian or witness of the grace of God. Knowing the doctrines and teachings of Scripture will.
The Bible—the most published, sold, given away, personally owned, outlawed, read, neglected, loved, hated, praised, despised, book ever to have existed. It is esteemed as the very words of God, renounced as merely the work of men, cherished as truth, and scorned as fable. It promises peace beyond understanding but with trials and tribulations to all who trust in and live its precepts. It warns of false prophets, false apostles, false teachers, of Satan and his ministers appearing as an angel of light and ministers of righteousness—all deceiving and misleading on what the Bible says and means. It is quite a book. If what it says is true, all the contradictions and confusion over and about it are to be expected.
It is a book that admonishes mankind to have charity toward all, to recompense to no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men, to love and care for your family and others as yourself. In short, there is no reason to disparage and reject the Bible or the God of the Bible, except for the fact that many hate the idea that the God of the Bible is going to bring all things into judgment. Nevertheless, the Bible not only warns of that judgment but provides the means for all who will turn to its God to pass that judgment justified and guiltless.
Understandably, all men without the saving grace revealed in its pages fail that judgment as the Bible presents the strictest of religions in that it requires absolute sinless perfection to be saved. Unlike other religions that leave you hanging, unsure, as to whether you are good enough, the Bible tells us flat out—we are not. We can stand securely and confidently on this solid ground, the knowledge that we are not good enough, cannot save ourselves, next to God “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” With this knowledge, we can do what no other religion affords. It affords us the ability to see within its pages that the God of the Bible, the God of creation, the God of justice, judgment, and loving-kindness, has freely provided absolute sinless perfection for us: on the one condition that we believe him.
Numbers 14:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me,
Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
“Believing all things which are written,” what should our attitude be toward the things that are written, God’s word?
Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
“Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” How much glory and honor is God placing upon his word by magnifying it above his name?
Deuteronomy 28:58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
Psalms 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalms 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
It is sure many more verses extolling God’s name could be listed. It is glorious and fearful; his name alone is excellent and reverend. It must now be asked, if God’s name is glorious, to be praised, and to be reverenced, what is our attitude supposed to be toward his word which he not only puts but magnifies above his name?
You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-948); Leader of the Indian independence movement
The ultimate slight perpetrated against the Creator is to not listen when he speaks, to ignore his words, or to place less than the appropriate importance upon the study of them. The Bible is God speaking to us. When and wherever the Scriptures have been easily accessed as in most places in the world today, it will not be an excusable offense, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, not to have read and studied them.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Whether or not we have read and taken to heart God’s word will probably be one of the top questions we will be judged on. It is not whether we understood all, but did we give it all we could to that end, and did we adhere to the parts we did understand. Unleavened Faith is produced to aid in correctly interpreting and understanding the Bible.
Although, there are those “whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not”, it is not the purpose of these studies to judge any man or his motives but to speak the truth as God has given me light to see it and whatever any individual does with it, God will judge. These studies compare the teachings and doctrines as taught to what the Bible teaches. Individuals knowing the truth, through a personal knowledge of what the Bible says, is the only way to stop the mouths that need to be stopped. So with Christian charity for all, I present these studies of the doctrines of Scripture for your consideration. If studied with a heart’s desire to learn and understand God’s word it is felt that the truth will shine through.
How many of the millions of lost souls will it become known on the day all things are revealed that:
For want of knowing the Scriptures, faithfulness was lost,
For want of faithfulness, witness was lost,
For want of witness, truth was lost,
For want of truth, many were lost,
All for the want of knowing God’s word.
Views: 4
